QB change perfect fit for SCD

Changing your starting quarterback late in the season when you're trying to make a playoff run isn't usually advisable.

But first-year Savannah Country Day football coach Joseph Koch felt his team needed a change after the offense struggled in a 26-7 loss at McIntosh County Academy Oct. 14.

So Koch moved sophomore backup quarterback Craig Novack into the starting lineup with two weeks left in the regular season and switched junior Drew Johnson from quarterback to running back.

The change gave the offense the lift Koch was looking for as SCD posted consecutive victories over Jenkins County 38-7 on Oct. 21 and No. 6 Portal 17-14 last week to qualify for the Class A state playoffs.

The Hornets (8-2) now face Dooly County (7-3) in the first round today at Saunders Field. Game time is 7:30 p.m.

"As a new coach, your goal each week is to find a way to get the best personnel on the field,'' Koch said of the decision to change quarterbacks. "Drew gave us the best chance to win those first seven games.

"Craig wasn't quite ready to take command of the offense at the start of the year. But from a developmental standpoint, Craig was getting to the point where he was ready to play. We were able to put better personnel on the field by putting Drew at tailback and Craig at quarterback.''

The move has proved to be a better fit for the Hornets' offense. In the two games since, Johnson has rushed for 179 yards on 21 carries and scored four touchdowns, while Novack has completed 10 of 15 passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns.

"We felt we needed to get Drew the ball more because of his great speed,'' Koch said. "Craig has been successful as well. He's done a real nice job of running the offense, controlling the huddle and being a leader for us.

"But the bottom line is we want our defense to be successful. It also helped us rest certain guys on defense. Guys like John Moesch, Louis Oswald and Ricard Cesar can focus a little more on defense.''

Johnson admitted he was a "little bit disappointed'' after being told he was moving back to tailback, where he played last year.

"I kind of wanted to play quarterback this year,'' he said. "But I think we're a better team with me at tailback.''

Against Portal, Johnson rushed for 98 yards on 10 carries, including a 63-yard touchdown run.

"I'm more comfortable at tailback,'' the 5-foot-8, 165-pounder said. "You don't have to do any reads. You just get the ball and go. It's pretty simple.''

Novack, who saw action primarily as a punter before the change, found out he was going to be the starter when Koch called him into his office the Monday following the MCA game.

"It was a surprise, but it also wasn't a surprise because I came in with six minutes left against McIntosh and played the rest of the game,'' Novack said. "I thought there might be a change.

"I was really happy. This is what I've been waiting for my whole life. I wasn't really nervous. I was confident even when I was the backup quarterback. Getting the reps in practice, I felt like I knew what was going on.''

But even though he felt confident, Novack said starting against Portal was "kind of nerve-racking. If we'd lost that game, we would have been out of the playoffs.''

Novack said the victory over the Panthers was a confidence booster for him as well as the entire team.

"We have huge momentum,'' he said. "I'm definitely more confident going into the playoffs. I think everybody's confident going into the playoffs. No one has any more doubts about how we can do in the playoffs.''